Name of new cruise terminal revealed

It was named after Kai Tak Airport.

According to a government release, the new cruise terminal being built at the end of the runway of the former Kai Tak Airport will officially be named Kai Tak Cruise Terminal.

A paper detailing the cruise terminal's progress was submitted today to the Legislative Council Panel on Economic Development, noting the site would again serve as a transport hub for Hong Kong. The name was chosen to provide continuity to the area's identity, and to commemorate the former airport.

The Government plans to commission the terminal building and the first berth in mid-2013. The first berth's concrete platform will be completed by the end of this year. Preparation work for the installation of passenger gangways at the first berth began at the end of September, while the seawall and second berth are under construction.

The main terminal building structure has been substantially completed and the façade and interior are under construction.

To encourage cruise companies to include the terminal as a stop on their itineraries, the Hong Kong Tourism Board has launched a marketing and advertising fund which cruise operators will contribute to on a 50:50 basis, to encourage visits to Hong Kong. The tourism board will also organise a cruise forum for January 2013, focusing on itinerary development and regional cooperation.